The Women of Australian Motor Sport (WAMS) committee welcomes one of the most prominent women in Formula 1TM to Australia when Sauber team principal Monisha Kaltenborn leads the guest speakers at the third annual WAMS Formula 1TM Rolex Australian Grand Prix Luncheon, being held tomorrow, March 13, in Melbourne.

Born in India, Kaltenborn was formally Sauber’s legal counsel before becoming Chief Executive Officer in 2010, the first woman to do so in Formula 1 TM. Today, the mother of two is not only team principal but also part owner, an Ambassador for the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission, and is looked upon as a successful example of what women can achieve in motor sport.

“We’re thrilled to have someone of Monisha’s experience and seniority in motor sport be able to speak at the luncheon tomorrow,” said Belinda Taylor, Chair of WAMS and Australia’s delegate to the FIA’s Women in Motorsport Commission.

“On the eve of the first event for the 2014 season we appreciate that Monisha is extremely busy and we want to thank her for going out of her way to tell her story this year for us. There are very few women at her level of the sport so it will be extremely valuable to find out how she’s been successful in getting to where she is today.”

The WAMS luncheon, which brings together many leaders in sport, business and media, will see the guest speaker list also include one of Australia’s most successful female international exports, rally driver Molly Taylor. Taylor was recently crowned the number one female rally driver in Europe after securing enough points to win the inaugural FIA European Rally Championship Ladies Trophy.

WAMS Junior Development Scholarship winner Caitlin Wood will be on hand to touch on her year in Formula Ford and her Evaluation Day in Germany last November for the Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup.

Also in attendance will be Williams F1 Development Driver and last year’s luncheon lead speaker, Susie Wolff – also an Australian Grand Prix Ambassador – plus the 2014 WAMS Officials Exchange Program recipient, Elaine Goh, who has flown to Australia specifically to work as a volunteer official for the event thanks to the program created by WAMS and Singapore.

The 2014 WAMS Formula 1TM Rolex Australian Grand Prix Luncheon will also host the official launch of the recently announced partnership with Women in Auto Trades, an initiative of Auto Skills Australia, which aims to encourage and support women to take up auto and motor sport trades.

The 2014 Formula 1TM Rolex Australian Grand Prix will be held at the Albert Park street circuit, in Melbourne, Victoria, from March 13-16.

ABOUT WAMS

Women of Australian Motor Sport (WAMS) is an initiative of the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS), the governing body of motor sport in Australia. WAMS was founded in 2010 of which volunteer committee members aim to open pathways to support women in motor sport at a national level, provide education and opportunities to increase their experience, and contribute to the cultural change in motor sport and the wider community about the roles which women play.